This article contains spoilers!
Gil Junger’s 10 Things I Hate About You follows Bianca and Katarina Stratford, a pair of sisters with polar opposite personalities and social lives. Wildly popular younger sister Bianca is forbidden to date or attend nearly all social events unless her sister does so as well. Both new student Cameron James and aspiring model Joey Donnor are smitten over Bianca, and after discovering this household rule, turn to Australian rebel Patrick Verona to convince him to date Katarina. He is initially paid to do so, but over time finds himself falling for Kat. As this love begins to blossom, Bianca finds herself for Cameron, rather than Joey, the original subject of her affections.
Nearly every character is forced to begrudgingly complete an English assignment on William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141 at the start of the film. This makes it especially ironic, because this late-’90s cult classic, one of the most popular coming-of-age films of all time, is based on one of Shakespeare’s most patriarchal plays.
Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew centers on the young scholar Lucentio’s infatuation with the beautiful Bianca, who already has multiple suitors. Bianca’s father insists that regardless of who may want to marry her, they cannot do so until her older sister Katherine is courted first. Petruchio, a young man from a different country, visits their town and is told by his friend Hortensio, a fellow suitor of Bianca’s, about the predicament. In order to help his friend Hortensio and allow him to freely marry Bianca, Petruchio agrees to marry Katherine without ever having met or seen her beforehand. Katherine reluctantly accepts for the sake of her sister, and the two are wedded. Immediately after their union, Petruchio orders his servants to treat Katherine horribly, refusing her basic necessities such as food, water, and sleep. He is unwilling to live his life with a woman as stubborn as she and is intent on breaking her will until her behavior satisfies him. He ultimately succeeds, and Katherine is left as a shell of herself under the weight of Petruchio’s needs.
Both works speak of a man’s attempt to change his lover’s strong-willed nature to conform to societal expectations, but do so on entirely different levels. Patrick may be somewhat intimidated by Kat’s stubborn nature, but he does little except playfully tease her about it. In reality, he finds himself even more interested in her because of the confidence she exhibits through her attitude, regardless of what those around her say. In Petruchio’s case, however, it is exactly the opposite. He does everything in his power to restrain Katherine’s resolute nature and is incessant in his need for control over her.
In the same vein, both Shakespeare and Junger’s male protagonists seek to “tame” their significant others. However, the intentions and end goals that each have in mind while doing so widely vary. Whereas Petruchio intends to break Katherine’s will and transform her into the perfect submissive wife he desires, Patrick’s intentions to “tame” Kat’s antisocial ways ultimately make her more open to the world around her. Where Petruchio seeks to restrict his partner, Patrick seeks to encourage. The authentic love Patrick holds for Kat allows this hope for her betterment and success in life to grow. However, since Petruchio agrees to marry solely to accomplish his own personal needs, both he and Katherine are, and always will be, unsatisfied with one another.
Both Shakespeare’s and Junger’s works explore gender roles and societal expectations for independent women, but do so with completely different approaches. Patrick and Kat’s relationship in 10 Things I Hate About You, however, offers its audience the ending that audiences needed from The Taming of the Shrew—one of mutual respect, acceptance, and a willingness to see one’s partner grow for the better.
